When I opened my eyes, I looked around my surroundings. The lights were off, and it was a familiar place. There is a simple single bed, with brown blanket, a table and chairs at the corner of the table, a single mahogany bedside table with a modern round table lap. On the other side of the room, there is a wooden white cabinet and beside it there is a full length mirror.
I stand in the mirror but I didn't see any reflection, it frightened me that I fell down on my knees. But I felt nothing. Not even a sound came out. I look at my hands and they are transparent like water.
"What is wrong with me?" I whispered. As A stood up, a memory flashed before my eyes.
I was outside the university, standing and staring blankly at the floor. It was my birthday today. My friends, Courtney and Jonas already greeted me and gave me their blessings, but the person I want to hear the blessings for seems to have forgotten what today is. My mother. I called her and asked where she was. She said that she was going to my cousin's Angeline's 18th birthday.
I almost blurted out to her that it was also my birthday but I think she doesn't even care at all. I bitterly chuckled. Is she really my mother? Forgetting her own child's birthday. This is not the first time it happened. It is always the same every year. Why do I still wait for her when it's highly unlikely that it will change.
I sighed deeply and decided to walk home instead of coming to Angeline's birthday. But before I even took one step, a black van without plate numbers stopped in front of the university and pulled me inside. There are four men inside. My heart began to beat fast.
"W-Who are you?" I stuttered. They have this black cloth covering their face other than the eyes and nose to let them breath and see. Who are they? "I-I don't have any money with me, please let me go..." I pleaded to make them spare me.
"I don't think that it will work, young miss. You should not go home at this time of night without anyone with you. It's bound to happen," one of the men said. My body trembled. What are they going to do with me?
"I'm not rich, my mother doesn't have anything to give you," I reasoned out. I tried my luck but they just laughed at me.
"Is that so? Then we don't have any reason to let you live since you see us, you're going to report us to the police as soon as we let you go," said another. I shook my head and held the hem of the man near me.
"I promise I won't, as long as you let me live! Please! I'm begging you!" I cried. They just laughed at me and they tied me up and put a gag on my mouth. Tears not stopping to flow from my eyes. Why today? Am I really cursed at having this kind of life? Not loved by my own mother, my father is nowhere to be found, and my family thought that I was just a troublesome kid who just wanted attention.
I just want to feel some love too. Is that too much to ask?
After an hour, the car stopped. I looked at my surroundings. They stopped in a abandoned asylum. They went down the car and they picked me up. I struggled to break free.
"Stop squirming, you brat!" They punch my stomach hard. It hurt so much, that I curled up like a fetus in the womb. They went to the building and came in to one of the rooms. There is some furniture inside, maybe they were left behind after the asylum closed. They threw me to the ground without care. Even aching, I scrambled away, but they laughed at me as if I'm a mouse that is being played by the cats for entertainment.
"So, what should we do with her?" asked one. I went to the corner, silently crying and praying for help. A man who was near to me sneered when he saw what I was doing.
"Are you praying for help, young miss? Too bad, no one will know what will happen to you, but I will give you one last chance. Call someone... The one you think will help you."
Chapter 2: Mom, help!They untied me and remove the gag on my mouth. They gave me my phone. I looked at them trembling in fear.
One man turns to me with a raised eyebrow. "What are you waiting for? Are you not going to call someone or you resigned to your fate?"
With a shaking hands, I clasp my phone and call my mom's number. Tears never cease to stop. "Mom, p-pick up..." I uttered.
After a few rings, she answered. "What?" There is annoyance in her tone. I bit my lips.
"Mom, help me please... I was kidnapped!" I pleaded. If I'm in front of her, I will grovel in her feet for her to save me.
"Kidnapped?" she chuckled. "Is this one of your pranks, right? Last time, you called because there is a snake in our lawn, and now you are kidnapped? Stop with your nonsense, Alice. Stop this attention grabbing! Where were you? Angeline's birthday is starting!"
"But mom! I'm not crying wolf here! All those these this happened, even this! Mom! Save me! Please!" I cried. I noticed the look of disappointment in their eyes and then it changed to a terrifying and chilling smile.
"If you don't want to come then don't!" Then the call ended. I looked at my phone and my heart stopped for a moment. Why? Why is she like this to me? Is she not worried about me, for my safety? The snake prank she said is Angeline brought a toy snake to our house and I thought it was real!
"It seems that your last ray of hope is not reliable enough. Tsk, tsk... Don't blame us now, we gave you a chance. You, prepare everything. We're not going to leave any evidence, alright!" The leader looked at me with a wicked smile. He yanked my hair and pulled me to the center of the room, and put ropes on my wrist and calves. "Let's start your nightmare!"
I shrudder and tried to remove those images in my head. It was too... gruesome to think of it. But I'm sure i'm already dead. But why did I wake up here in our house?
I heard the door opened and close. I went down to check who it was. When I got to the entrance, I saw my mother.
"Alice! Are you home?" I heard her called me. Even if I answered her, as if she would hear me. I chuckled bitterly.
"No one will answer even if she calls for my name," I said and sighed. I saw my mother looked irritable when I didn't answer her. She stomped her feet towards my room and knocked on the door.
"Are you seriously rebelling right now? Look, Alice. I don't want today to be ruined by you, so stop this nonsense and come out the room, now!" My mom angrily said and waited for a few minutes, but when she didn't get what she wanted, she opened the door and was greeted by a cold room. I looked at her reaction and, for a split, she was stunned but then her eyebrows furrowed.
"This child... does she think that I will bought his words that she said in the call? Angeline always clean up her mess. Why can't Alice become a half of her cousin?" My mom muttered and closed my bedroom door. Half of Angeline? I'd rather not. She's a bully. Her, cleaning my mess. It should be the other way round. I was the one cleaning up her mess and being the one who got implicated by her wicked words.
Why can't my own mom see? Is she really blind or Angeline is just good on brainwashing my own mother. I sighed. My heart is breaking, even though I don't have a beating heart anymore. Why do I still feel the pain of being ignored and being compared to her? Is it the same thing as the ghost feels when they want revenge?
I followed my mother and heard her phone ringing. My mother went to the living room where she put her back before she came to my room and saw her answer the phone.
"Hello? Alicia! I'm sorry I called you today despite you being on leave," I heard the voice on the other line, It was Becky Carlson, my mom's colleague.
"It's fine. The birthday party is done. Is there any problem?" Mom asked and she sat down on the sofa. I sat beside her to hear what Becky will tell mom. My mom is a forensic pathologist. She inspects the corpse and determines the time of death and how they died.
"It's your girl's bithday, right? Tell her that I congratulate her on her 18th birthday and I apologize to take you away on her special day. We need your help, this case is very special." I smile a little. At least Becky remembered my birthday. She's kind to me, and always there for me if I need her. She's like my mother instead my real one. But her voice gets serious when she tells her about the case. I saw mom furrowed her eyebrows, completely confused.
"My girl's birthday? What do you mean about that? Anyway, I'm coming to place, send me the deets." She ended the call. She wore her shoes again and picked up her bag then left. I followed her.
Chapter 3: Mom, It's meI followed my mother to the place where they needed her help. I sat beside her in the taxi and looked outside the window. I saw the sky was clear, the moon was out. It was in the middle of the night.
Before, I remember clearly, mom always get up and leave the house for work. Living me alone and afraid that something might happen to me. Even if I call her, she would just ignore me. But if Angeline just got hurt or anything, she would come immediately. Coax her until her eyes dried of her tears then blame me for now taking care of her. My lips pursed. When it comes to the time of birth, Alice is older than me by a few minutes, so technically she's older than me.
I asked mom once why she put importance to Angeline and she said to me that Angeline's parents had an accident and her sister told her to take care of Angeline for her. Since then, Angeline has lived with our grandparents and she's a loved child when I'm the black sheep.
Tears started to flow from my cheeks. "Why does Angeline have everything when I need to fight for attention?" I whispered bitterly.
The taxi stopped. Where near at the river, and I saw police cars and a few people surrounding the area. I followed mom while she passed the onlookers. I saw some police running away and puking their guts out. It made me curious. Is it something horrifying? Since I'm a ghost, I just walked past them and went to the scene. And there I saw a grotesque scene.
The mutilated body in the scene was mine. It's me.
Mom walked to Becky who looked at her seriously. "Seriously, Alicia? Why do you sound confused on the phone just now?"
"Let's focus on work, Becky. Let's talk about this," mom said and kneeled at the side of my body. I looked down saw the status of my own body. I trembled and hugged myself. I feel like I can feel the pain again.
"This one, the face is battered beyond recognition. Fingers were burned, the body was beaten hard, teeth was pulled out while and nails were also pulled out one by one. And this one is a woman," Becky informed. "Also, it's strange. It feels like this one is kind of... familiar with me."
"I think you're imagining things," Mom said. I chuckled. Sometimes I think that mom is not my real mother and I asked Becky. She assured me that I'm my mother's child. But why don't I feel it at all. A policeman came, with a frown on his face.
"There are no ID's in the body and were running some tests. It will take time to know who it is," the police informed. Mom just nodded as she inspected every part.
"Alright. Please transport the body to the Lab," Mom said and looked at Becky. "You take charge of this. I will give you input on the things you might miss."
"The murderer is still on the loose. The one who reported about the body is a homeless person who was looking for food and found this. So, I suggest that you tell your young people about it," the police officer warned mom and Becky. Becky gave him a smile.
"Thanks for that, officer. I really hope you guys catch the culprit." The police officer left and walked away. I looked at the back of that police officer who left. He looks familiar.
"What do you think the age of this person?" Mom asked. I turned away sadly.
"It was 18 years old. Mom, it's me," I whispered dejectedly.
Chapter 4: MissingI was sitting in a boulder while I look at them silently. I saw how mom and Becky work. I'm interested in working like mom but now, It's impossible. But now, I don't know if I want to be like her anymore.
"Okay, we're finished and picked up all the remains. Let's go. I'm going to bring you home," Becky said to mom. Mom agreed and the two of them walked together to the car. I followed them and sat at the back of the car. "By the way, did you tell Alice that I greet her happy birthday?"
"Alice? Was it Alice's birthday today?" Mom asked. I sighed disappointedly. He leaned in the backseat. And looked at the two. Becky was in the driver seat and mom is in the passenger seat.
"Today? Alicia, it was yesterday! Your daughter's brithday is yesterday! Aren't you celebrating with her earlier?" Becky looked at mom incredulously while she started the car. "Don't tell me... You're not with Alice at all?"
"That girl, she's a trouble maker. I just forgot it, because I'm busy," Mom said as if trying to make her reason justified. Becky rolled her eyes and shook her head and started to drive.
"I don't think that Alice is a trouble maker. If you gave her some attention just like what you give to your niece, you don't have a problem. Well, maybe you're the problem here, Alicia..."
"How can you say that to your friend, huh?" Mom started to get annoyed. Becky look at her with furrowed eyebrows.
"You have favoritism between your daughter and niece. I know you want the best for your niece that your sister left for you to care but Alice is your daughter, your flesh and blood. Why are you so indifferent towards her?" Becky asked confused with irritation. Even I wants to know why she's like that to me. Angeline... she knows that mother favored her over me so everything she did something bad, mom will think that I was the one who did it.
"Alice still have me! While Angeline doesn't have her mother neither her father! Even if she's living in with my parents, Angeline still feel lonely. I just want her to feel that she's not alone," mom answered with a serious face. She looked like she unjustly wronged by Becky.
"Heh, so you say that Alice is not worthy of your attention because she have everything while Angeline doesn't have?" Becky asked with a raised eyebrow. There is a defeated sighed escape her lips. Mom nodded. She looked pleased. I have everything? I don't think that's even true when all the good things went to Angeline. And what I get is Angeline's rejected items that she doesn't like anymore. "I still wonder if Alice is your daughter. It sucks ti have you as a mother."
"Becky you—"
Becky stopped the car. I looked outside, we arrived to our house. I looked at Becky who gave a disapponting look at mom. "Alicia, Alice is a kind child. You always complain about her being a trouble maker but I never see her do any trouble once when she's with me when she was young. You're too biased towards your niece and you neglect your daughter who always think of you. I hope... You don't regret anything in the end. Sometimes, those we think we knew through and through is someone who backstabbed you in the end. Good night."
Mom groaned and get down the car. I looked at Becky who looked heartbroken. "I hope you're okay, Alice. I hope that I'm wrong with what I saw earlier."
She saw earlier? Ah, she might be talking about the birthmark in my arm. I smiled dejectedly. "No, you're right. Mom really doesn't care about me and doesn't even remember that I have a birthmark in my arm."
I've already given up on mom. I just wish to leave this place and just move on. Disappear in this place. So that all the painful memories will disappear. Even though I prayed for it hard, my prayers weren't heard.
It's been days but for some reason, they don't have any information. The source of identification were destroyed. It seems that the kidnappers knew what to do to not leave any evidences. I stopped hanging around mom since she doesn't look like care where I am, not even once I saw her called me so what is the use of hanging around her?
I was at the police station to see if there is another clue but they are stumped. No one was informing them about a missing person, they even thought that it was a work of an organization but why would they target me who is just a normal student? It's weird. I shook my head and decided to leave when I saw my bestfriend, Courtney Nelson. She's frantic and immediately went to a policewoman.
"Please, Help! My bestfriend! I think she's missing!"